This Christmas, go local with Channapatna toys

BENGALURU : This Christmas, Rudolph is not going to come from Santa’s village in Lapland, but from the land of toys, Channapatna. Following the mantra of vocal for local, many in the city are opting for house-shaped ornaments made of jute, wooden toy snowmen and reindeers, and other such ornaments for their Christmas trees. 

Karthik Vaidyanathan has been working towards reviving the 200-year-old art of making wooden Channapatna toys. This year, his venture, Varanam Art Collective, is offering little snowmen and reindeers, tree hangers, bells and decorative baubles. “Since these things are not traditionally made in Channapatna, the Christmas special is being done for this season. We have designed the toys and commissioned the artisans to make these,” says Vaidyanathan, who started the venture in 2014. These toys are also popular as gifts, with the price starting at Rs 275. 

Door knob ornaments made of jute, Christmas-themed cushion covers, stockings and wall hangings... Soumya Thomas is the one-man army behind these products available at A Bee In The Garden. But her most popular product this year is the Kutch cowbell, which she has converted into a tree hanger by adding lace or embroidered lining to it.

"It’s a crowd favourite. I have received maximum orders for it. It might be because of the chiming sound it creates," says Thomas, who has been running the business for one year. Thomas, whose products are priced at Rs 150 onwards, says this Christmas has been busier than the last, due to an increase in people's interest in homemade goods.

"Last year, I started small because it was my first attempt. This year, there is a huge surge in demand for locally sourced or sustainable ornaments. Maybe it’s a side effect of the pandemic, with people wishing  to support local businesses and boycott Chinese goods," says the 37-year-old. She adds that people are keen on making the most of their indoor celebrations as well. 

Agrees Barath Coumar, who is one of the directors of the enterprise, This That and Everything Else, which has been working towards reviving Channapatna toys and terracotta art work. "Our biggest competition is China-made goods. This year, many people have been turning towards local products. Even if they are not buyers, they are promoting us on social media or through word of mouth," says Coumar, adding that this is the first time they have started shipping across India.